Search results for "SMIS"
showing 10 items of 2316 documents
Reversible neural stem cell niche dysfunction in a model of multiple sclerosis
2011
Objective The subventricular zone (SVZ) of the brain constitutes a niche for neural stem and progenitor cells that can initiate repair after central nervous system (CNS) injury. In a relapsing-remitting model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the neural stem cells (NSCs) become activated and initiate regeneration during acute disease, but lose this ability during the chronic phases of disease. We hypothesized that chronic microglia activation contributes to the failure of the NSC repair potential in the SVZ. Methods Using bromodeoxyuridine injections at different time points during EAE, we quantified the number of proliferating and differentiating progenitors, and evaluate…
Pre- and postsynaptic type-1 cannabinoid receptors control the alterations of glutamate transmission in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
2013
Type-1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1R) are important regulators of the neurodegenerative damage in multiple sclerosis (MS) and in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). In GABAergic striatal neurons, CB1R stimulation exerts protective effects by limiting inflammation-induced potentiation of glutamate-mediated spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs). Here we show that CB1R located on GABAergic or on glutamatergic neurons are differentially involved in the pre- and postsynaptic alterations of sEPSCs caused by EAE in the striatum. After induction of EAE, mice selectively lacking CB1R on GABAergic neurons (GABA-CB1R-KO) showed exacerbated alterations of sEPSC duration in GA…
Radiating and non-radiating sources in elasticity
2018
In this work, we study the inverse source problem of a fixed frequency for the Navier's equation. We investigate that nonradiating external forces. If the support of such a force has a convex or non-convex corner or edge on their boundary, the force must be vanishing there. The vanishing property at corners and edges holds also for sufficiently smooth transmission eigenfunctions in elasticity. The idea originates from the enclosure method: The energy identity and new type exponential solutions for the Navier's equation.
Neuromuscular junction disassembly and muscle fatigue in mice lacking neurotrophin-4
2001
Neurotrophin-4 (NT-4) is produced by slow muscle fibers in an activity-dependent manner and promotes growth and remodeling of adult motorneuron innervation. However, both muscle fibers and motor neurons express NT-4 receptors, suggesting bidirectional NT-4 signaling at the neuromuscular junction. Mice lacking NT-4 displayed enlarged and fragmented neuromuscular junctions with disassembled postsynaptic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clusters, reduced AChR binding, and acetylcholinesterase activity. Electromyographic responses, posttetanic potentiation, and action potential amplitude were also significantly reduced in muscle fibers from NT-4 knock-out mice. Slow-twitch soleus muscles from thes…
Plasticity of mouse enteric synapses mediated through endocannabinoid and purinergic signaling
2012
The myenteric and submucosal plexuses of the enteric nervous system (ENS) exist as interconnected integrative nerve networks within the wall of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Activity of the ENS is responsible for the control of the digestive and protective functions of the gut.1 Synaptic transmission between enteric neurons propagates information from intrinsic afferent neurons to interneurons, and then from interneurons to motor neurons that control final effectors such as smooth muscle and the secretory epithelium. Acetylcholine (ACh) is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the myenteric plexus, acting on nicotinic receptors at synapses between neurons and on muscarinic receptors a…
Evidence that 3 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha-pregnan-20-one is a physiologically relevant modulator of GABA-ergic neurotransmission.
1991
Abstract 3α-Hydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-one (HPO) is a progesterone metabolite which exhibits narcotic properties at high concentrations by interactions with the receptor for gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The present investigation characterized low-dose effects of HPO on GABA A receptor binding, by determining the allosteric properties of HPO on the in vitro binding of 3 H-muscimol to membrane fractions from the cerebella of ovariectomized rats. A newly developed method for tissue preparation was used to wash out endogenous ligands interfering with the assay. HPO reduced the affinity of 3 H-muscimol to GABA A receptor sites by 52% and enhanced the number of accessible binding sites from 5.5±0.5…
Hsa-miR-30d, secreted by the human endometrium, is taken up by the pre-implantation embryo and might modify its transcriptome.
2015
During embryo implantation, the blastocyst interacts with and regulates the endometrium, and endometrial fluid secreted by the endometrial epithelium nurtures the embryo. Here, we propose that maternal microRNAs (miRNAs) might act as transcriptomic modifier of the pre-implantation embryo. Microarray profiling revealed that six of 27 specific, maternal miRNAs were differentially expressed in the human endometrial epithelium during the window of implantation – a brief phase of endometrial receptivity to the blastocyst – and were released into the endometrial fluid. Further investigation revealed that hsa-miR-30d, the expression levels of which were most significantly upregulated, was secreted…
Impact of Ceramic and Metallic Nano-scaled Particles on Endothelial Cell Functionsin vitro
2007
The sections in this article are Introduction Origin of Particles in the Human Environment Evidence for Size-dependent Toxicity of Particles Dissemination and Interferences of Nanoparticles within the Body Endothelial Cells and Nanoparticle Exposure Testing of Nanoparticle-induced Effects on Human Endothelial Cells In Vitro Materials and Methods Cell Culture Particles Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) Cytotoxicity Assay Detection of Ki67 Expression Quantification of IL-8 Release in Cell Culture Supernatant Quantification of E-selectin Cell Surface Protein Expression Fluorescence Staining Statistical Analysis Results Discussion Particle Internalization Particle Cytotoxicity Pro-inflamma…
Lymphatic endothelial progenitors bud from the cardinal vein and intersomitic vessels in mammalian embryos.
2012
Abstract The lymphatic vasculature preserves tissue fluid balance by absorbing fluid and macromolecules and transporting them to the blood vessels for circulation. The stepwise process leading to the formation of the mammalian lymphatic vasculature starts by the expression of the gene Prox1 in a subpopulation of blood endothelial cells (BECs) on the cardinal vein (CV) at approximately E9.5. These Prox1-expressing lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) will exit the CV to form lymph sacs, primitive structures from which the entire lymphatic network is derived. Until now, no conclusive information was available regarding the cellular processes by which these LEC progenitors exit the CV without co…
RAPPORTO ENERGIA 2015 Monitoraggio sull’energia in Sicilia
2015
Il Rapporto energia, curato dall'Osservatorio regionale, anche quest’anno ci consente di fare il punto sui fatti salienti che riguardano l’energia in Sicilia. Il contributo siciliano al raggiungimento degli obiettivi europei passa attraverso una serie di opportunità che se colte consentiranno di pervenire sicuramente ai risultati indicati. In Sicilia, nel primo semestre del 2015, si registra una forte contrazione delle esportazioni ascrivibile prevalentemente al settore dei prodotti petroliferi raffinati (-18,5%) che rappresentano quasi i tre quinti delle esportazioni totali regionali, incidendo in modo pesante sul PIL siciliano. L’export petrolifero è diminuito in termini nominali a causa …